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Psalm 80[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” Of Asaph. A psalm.

Hear us, Shepherd of Israel,
    you who lead Joseph like a flock.(A)
You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,(B)
    shine forth before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.(C)
Awaken(D) your might;
    come and save us.(E)

Restore(F) us,(G) O God;
    make your face shine on us,
    that we may be saved.(H)

How long,(I) Lord God Almighty,
    will your anger smolder(J)
    against the prayers of your people?
You have fed them with the bread of tears;(K)
    you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.(L)
You have made us an object of derision[b] to our neighbors,
    and our enemies mock us.(M)

Restore us, God Almighty;
    make your face shine on us,
    that we may be saved.(N)

You transplanted a vine(O) from Egypt;
    you drove out(P) the nations and planted(Q) it.
You cleared the ground for it,
    and it took root and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered with its shade,
    the mighty cedars with its branches.
11 Its branches reached as far as the Sea,[c]
    its shoots as far as the River.[d](R)

12 Why have you broken down its walls(S)
    so that all who pass by pick its grapes?
13 Boars from the forest ravage(T) it,
    and insects from the fields feed on it.
14 Return to us, God Almighty!
    Look down from heaven and see!(U)
Watch over this vine,
15     the root your right hand has planted,
    the son[e] you have raised up for yourself.

16 Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire;(V)
    at your rebuke(W) your people perish.
17 Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,
    the son of man(X) you have raised up for yourself.
18 Then we will not turn away from you;
    revive(Y) us, and we will call on your name.

19 Restore us, Lord God Almighty;
    make your face shine on us,
    that we may be saved.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 80:1 In Hebrew texts 80:1-19 is numbered 80:2-20.
  2. Psalm 80:6 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text contention
  3. Psalm 80:11 Probably the Mediterranean
  4. Psalm 80:11 That is, the Euphrates
  5. Psalm 80:15 Or branch

A Prayer for the Nation's Restoration[a]

80 (A)Listen to us, O Shepherd of Israel;
    hear us, leader of your flock.
Seated on your throne above the winged creatures,
    reveal yourself to the tribes of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.
Show us your strength;
    come and save us!

Bring us back, O God!
    Show us your mercy, and we will be saved!

How much longer, Lord God Almighty,
    will you be angry with your people's prayers?
You have given us sorrow to eat,
    a large cup of tears to drink.
You let the surrounding nations fight over our land;
    our enemies insult us.

Bring us back, Almighty God!
    Show us your mercy, and we will be saved!

You brought a grapevine out of Egypt;
    you drove out other nations and planted it in their land.
You cleared a place for it to grow;
    its roots went deep, and it spread out over the whole land.
10 It covered the hills with its shade;
    its branches overshadowed the giant cedars.
11 It extended its branches to the Mediterranean Sea
    and as far as the Euphrates River.
12 Why did you break down the fences around it?
    Now anyone passing by can steal its grapes;
13     wild hogs trample it down,
    and wild animals feed on it.

14 Turn to us, Almighty God!
    Look down from heaven at us;
    come and save your people!
15 Come and save this grapevine that you planted,
    this young vine you made grow so strong!

16 Our enemies have set it on fire and cut it down;
    look at them in anger and destroy them!
17 Preserve and protect the people you have chosen,
    the nation you made so strong.
18 We will never turn away from you again;
    keep us alive, and we will praise you.

19 Bring us back, Lord God Almighty.
    Show us your mercy, and we will be saved.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 80:1 HEBREW TITLE: A psalm by Asaph; a testimony.

A Prayer to Bring Israel Back

For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies of the Agreement.” A psalm of Asaph.

80 Shepherd of Israel, listen to us.
    You lead the people of Joseph like a flock.
You sit on your throne between the gold creatures with wings.
    Show your greatness to the people of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.
Use your strength,
    and come to save us.

God, take us back.
    Show us your kindness so we can be saved.

Lord God All-Powerful,
    how long will you be angry
    at the prayers of your people?
You have fed your people with tears;
    you have made them drink many tears.
You made those around us fight over us,
    and our enemies make fun of us.

God All-Powerful, take us back.
    Show us your kindness so we can be saved.

You brought us out of Egypt as if we were a vine.
    You forced out other nations and planted us in the land.
You cleared the ground for us.
    Like a vine, we took root and filled the land.
10 We covered the mountains with our shade.
    We had limbs like the mighty cedar tree.
11 Our branches reached the Mediterranean Sea,
    and our shoots went to the Euphrates River.

12 So why did you pull down our walls?
    Now everyone who passes by steals from us.
13 Like wild pigs they walk over us;
    like wild animals they feed on us.

14 God All-Powerful, come back.
    Look down from heaven and see.
Take care of us, your vine.
15 You planted this shoot with your own hands
    and strengthened this child.
16 Now it is cut down and burned with fire;
    you destroyed us by your angry looks.
17 With your hand,
    strengthen the one you have chosen for yourself.
18 Then we will not turn away from you.
    Give us life again, and we will call to you for help.

19 Lord God All-Powerful, take us back.
    Show us your kindness so we can be saved.

80 1-2 Listen, Shepherd, Israel’s Shepherd—
    get all your Joseph sheep together.
Throw beams of light
    from your dazzling throne
So Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh
    can see where they’re going.
Get out of bed—you’ve slept long enough!
    Come on the run before it’s too late.

    God, come back!
    Smile your blessing smile:
    That will be our salvation.

4-6 God, God-of-the-Angel-Armies,
    how long will you smolder like a sleeping volcano
    while your people call for fire and brimstone?
You put us on a diet of tears,
    bucket after bucket of salty tears to drink.
You make us look ridiculous to our friends;
    our enemies poke fun day after day.

    God-of-the-Angel-Armies, come back!
    Smile your blessing smile:
    That will be our salvation.

8-18 Remember how you brought a young vine from Egypt,
    cleared out the brambles and briers
    and planted your very own vineyard?
You prepared the good earth,
    you planted her roots deep;
    the vineyard filled the land.
Your vine soared high and shaded the mountains,
    even dwarfing the giant cedars.
Your vine ranged west to the Sea,
    east to the River.
So why do you no longer protect your vine?
    Trespassers pick its grapes at will;
Wild pigs crash through and crush it,
    and the mice nibble away at what’s left.
God-of-the-Angel-Armies, turn our way!
    Take a good look at what’s happened
    and attend to this vine.
Care for what you once tenderly planted—
    the vine you raised from a shoot.
And those who dared to set it on fire—
    give them a look that will kill!
Then take the hand of your once-favorite child,
    the child you raised to adulthood.
We will never turn our back on you;
    breathe life into our lungs so we can shout your name!

19     God, God-of-the-Angel-Armies, come back!
    Smile your blessing smile:
    That will be our salvation.

Psalm 80

Prayer for Israel’s Restoration

To the leader: on Lilies, a Covenant. Of Asaph. A Psalm.

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
    you who lead Joseph like a flock!
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth(A)
    before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh.
Stir up your might,
    and come to save us!(B)

Restore us, O God;
    let your face shine, that we may be saved.(C)

O Lord God of hosts,
    how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?(D)
You have fed them with the bread of tears
    and given them tears to drink in full measure.(E)
You make us the scorn[a] of our neighbors;
    our enemies laugh among themselves.(F)

Restore us, O God of hosts;
    let your face shine, that we may be saved.

You brought a vine out of Egypt;
    you drove out the nations and planted it.(G)
You cleared the ground for it;
    it took deep root and filled the land.(H)
10 The mountains were covered with its shade,
    the mighty cedars with its branches;
11 it sent out its branches to the sea
    and its shoots to the River.
12 Why then have you broken down its walls,
    so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?(I)
13 The boar from the forest ravages it,
    and all that move in the field feed on it.(J)

14 Turn again, O God of hosts;
    look down from heaven and see;
have regard for this vine,(K)
15     the stock that your right hand planted.[b]
16 It has been burned with fire; it has been cut down;
    may they perish at the rebuke of your countenance.(L)
17 But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand,
    the one whom you made strong for yourself.(M)
18 Then we will never turn back from you;
    give us life, and we will call on your name.(N)

19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;
    let your face shine, that we may be saved.

Footnotes

  1. 80.6 Syr: Heb strife
  2. 80.15 Heb adds from 80.17 and upon the one whom you made strong for yourself